January 34, 1867. J 



JOUKNAli OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



77 



enough without having a piece taken out of his comb, or any 

 such ernelty. We vouch that he never had a hollow comb, or 

 Lad a piece taken out. All that was done was the stitch, as 

 already stated ; and we will give the person £5 who can show 

 the hollow place in the centre of the comb, or where it has 

 been, from the first time of his being shown to the last. 



We do not find fault with the Judges for disqualifying our bii'd, 

 for we are aware that they were justified in doing so, but we 

 do not like the report, given in your Journal, that we had been 

 BO cruel. All that we want at the hands of any Judge at any 

 show that we are exhibiting at is fair play and justice ; we do 

 not want a prize given to our fowls except they are worthy of 

 it, and have merited it, and that shall always be the wish of 

 — Samuel & Robert Ashtox, Mottram, Manchester. 



P.S. — Just as we send this to you we received information 

 that our discjualitied bird has been awarded the second prize 

 at Kendal, against the best Golden-spaugled Hamburgh breeders 

 of the day. This must go to show the correctness of the above 

 statements. At the same time we wisli to say that all the stitches 

 have been taken from his comb, and if we mistake not he will 

 puzzle many a good bird before January is out, if justice be 

 done to him, which is all that is wanted by us. 



[The statement of Messrs. Samuel & Robert Ashton, in at- 

 tempted refutation of your report, is certainly somewhat 

 amusing, as perhaps by this act (entirely their own), a more 

 confirmatory document of the cruelty really practised and com- 

 plained of, on the comb of their tioklen-spangled Hamburgh 

 cock, could not have been produced, even had these two gentle- 

 men purposely predetermined it, with the sole view of in- 

 creasing the exposure of their own misdoings. The Messrs. 

 Ashton refer to the mode of imposition practised as "the stitch;" 

 and again, as one or two stitches, being put into the comb, not 

 " with any intent to defraud, or obtain a prize without having 

 merited it, but by mere carelessness and neglect ;"' and also that 

 they shall make their defence " not by falsehood, as your corre- 

 spondent has done, but by truth, and truth alone." Well, then, 

 let the truth, so far as hitherto reserved, be told. At Whitehaven 

 when "disqualified," three stitches were taken out of the 

 cock's comb by Mr. Hewitt, and two by Mr. Teebay. Even 

 then others still remained, and were permitted to do so, purely 

 out of compassion to the feehngs of the bird itself, as had all 

 the stitches been at that time extracted, most probably the 

 whole of the previous sufferings of this fowl — prior to the con- 

 firmed adhesion of the excised part — would have been repro- 

 duced, even as at the very beginning. 



The Messrs. Ashton, as the owners of the bird, complain 

 bitterly of the statement of your reporter, of their " having been 

 BO cruel," adding, " all they want at the hands of any Judge is 

 justice and fair play." Every really conscientious exhibitor 

 will undoubtedly feel grateful to the Judges at Whitehaven, 

 Messrs. Hewitt and Teebay, for the fearless justice and richly- 

 earned disappointment they meted out, as the proper reward 

 of such acts as the Messrs. Ashton thus unblushingly avow 

 themselves to have been guilty of — cruelties, alike incapable of 

 either justification or palhation, and that tend more than all 

 other duplicities put together, to bring discredit on a pursuit, 

 naturally an i anocent one, and one at the same time capable of 

 producing both amusement and profit to all classes of society. 

 — The Reporteh.] 



TAIL OF THE SILVER-SPANGLED 

 HAMBURGH COCK. 



I NOTICE in your impression of the 8th inst., a letter from 

 " J. W.," in which he complains of the Hamburgh cup at Leeds 

 being awarded to my Silver-pencilled chickens, on the ground 

 that the cockerel had odd sickle feathers — that is, one sickle 

 was darker than the other, and that I felt " ashamed of the 

 award." I cannot tell how he has come to the conclusion that 

 I was ashamed, as, on the contrary, I feel proud of the achieve- 

 ment, and think this cockerel one of the best I ever exhibited. 



Previous to the Show I had several cockerels brought in to 

 choose from, and both myself and man came to the con- 

 clusion that he was the best. He caught cold at Leeds, and at 

 Manchester I showed one of his brothers — well, he took the 

 first prize ; this pen was claimed. I then showed at Bristol 

 another of the brothers, he also was first, and at Whitehaven 

 I showed another brother, which likewise took the first prize, so 

 that I think myself justified in considering him a good bird, 

 I grant he has odd sickle feathers — that is, one feather silvered 

 more than the other ; but one feather being a good one, and the 



other better, I do not see that this should disqualify him. It 

 is very common for Silver- spangled cocks to have one clear 

 feather in the tail and the other splashed, but this does not 

 disqualify a bird, although it would go against him, if another 

 as good in all points, and superior in this, were opposing him. 

 Now, allowing these odd sickles to be a defect (although the 

 Judges may never have noticed it), I consider the bird in ques- 

 tion to be the best shown at Leeds. This is my opinion, and 

 " J. W.," of course, is at liberty to have his own. Still, if he 

 will come over to Goitstock, if not too far, I will try to con- 

 vince " J. W.," as the bird is now nearly well again, that he 

 is one of the best birds out. — H. Beldon. 



THE KENDAL EXHIBITION OF POELTRY 

 AND PIGEONS. 



So successful a Show as that which opened on the 17th iust., and 

 closed ou the 19th, has never bcsfore been held at Kendal. It took 

 place this year in Duckett Mills, a newly-erected building exceedingly 

 well adapted for the purpose, being a very extensive etructare, of 

 only a single storey, and well Ughted throughout from the roof ; in 

 point of fact, uothiug could be more desirable. The proprietor, Mr. 

 Medealf, generously placed it at the disposal of the Keudal Poultry 

 Show Committee, and not only made a donation of three guineas to the 

 tnnds, hut at a considerable outlay made good all the means of access 

 to til ■ mill so perfectly, that even the most fastidious visitor could find 

 nothing to complain of. The weather, as most of our readers might 

 anticipate, was severe in the extreme. Many of the bhds were con- 

 sequently received in sad condition, but the Kendal Committee used 

 every endeavour to revive them, and in many cases very successfully. 

 The variety and Uborality of the food provided, merits the highest 

 euloginm. In spite of every etfort, however, it was evident to visitors, 

 that many pens of Pigeons and poultry were so far frostbitten doruig 

 their railway transit to the Show, that it will take some considerable 

 time before their recovery be completed. 



There was a vei"y grand display of Game, fowls ; in fact, it was the 

 opinion of the Judges, that so many Black Reds, and of such ex- 

 cellence, had never before been shown at any one meeting. The Ham- 

 har'jh classes were exceedingly iuterestiua, every variety being repre- 

 sented well. Golden-spangleii took the Hamburgh cnp. Grey as well 

 as White Dorhitujs were wcU shown ; faulty legs and feet, however, 

 seemed to be almost the order of the day, and this failing deprived 

 many otherwise excellent pens of every chance of success. Both the 

 £n(hiiuts and Cochins mustered strongly, but many of the specimens 

 seemed to be suffering acutely from the severity of the day. The 

 Bantams proved a very excellent part of the Exhibition, a gi-eat va- 

 riety of breeds being present. Duekwing Game were the winners of 

 the Bantam cup. 



Many of the Turl-cti^ and Duels shown were of unusual merit, and 

 the cup for the best pen of Ducks of any kind, again, as at White- 

 haven Show, was awarded to the extraordinary pen of Shell Dacke, 

 claimed on that occasion, so that these excellent bii"ds have, besides 

 first prizes, taken two silver cups in a few days. They were mnch 

 admired. Of Pintails, Widgeons, Carolina Ducks, and Mandarins, 

 there was a good entry. 



In I'/;feons, few shows equal Kendal, as many first-rate birds are 

 kept in the neighbourhood ; and as Uberal prizes were offered, the 

 competition was severe. It is decidedly best, however, in the case of 

 all Pigeons, to put the water outside the pens, instead of within ihe 

 wires, as by the latter course the pens become wetted unnecessarily, 

 and the plumage of the inmates soiled in proportion. 



Game (Whites and Piles).— First and Cup, J. Fletcher, Stoneclongh, 

 near Manchester. Second, J. Brough, Carlisle. Third, H. Thompson, 

 Maideu Hill, Penrith. Commended, W. Wainwright, Stetton-under-Fossei 

 near Rugby. 



Gjxe (Black-breasted and other Reds).— First and Third, J. Fletcher. 

 Highly Commended. H. Thompson; J. H. WUson, St. Bees. Cliicken/i.— 

 First, W. J. Cope, Bamsley. Second, J. B:utow, jun., Keudal. Third, 

 E. Acki-oyd, Bradford. Highly Commended, W. Boulton, Dalton in For- 

 ness ; J. Hodgson, Whittington, Bm-ton, Westmoreland. 



Game (Any other variety).— First, J. Fletcher. Second, W. J. Cope, 

 Thiid, H. Snowdon, Great Horton, Bradford, ffrn.— First, T Burgess, 

 Burleydam. Whitchurch. Second, F. Pittis, jun., Newport. I.W. Third, 

 T. Rol.iiison.Ulverston. Highly Commended, T. Wilcock. Jlorley, Leeds; 

 — Hodsson, Darlington ; E. Aki'oyd. Commended, A. Fenton, Oriinhle 

 Hall, Rochdale. 



Hameurgh (Golden-pencilled).— First and Third, F. Pittis, jun. Se- 

 cond, A. K. Wood, Castle DouniuctM, near Derby. Highly Commended, 

 R. McGregor, Perth; H. Beldon, Goitstock, Binglcy. 



Hameckgh (Silver-pencUled).— First. A. K. Wood. Second, W. M. 

 Mann, Kendal. Third, H. Beldon. Highly Commended, J. Eobinson, 

 Yale House, near Garstang. 



Hameuruh (Golden-spangled).— First and Cup, N. Marlow, Denton, 

 Manchester. Second, S. & R.'Ashtou, Mottram. near Manchester Third, 

 J. Ogdcu, Hollinwood, near Manchester. Highly Commended, T. Bor- 

 Ress; A. K. Wood; J. Buckley, Taunton, near Ashton-nnder-Lyne ; C. 

 W. Erierlev, Middleton. Manchester. 



Hambuboh (SUver-spauRledl.— First, A. K Wood. Second, .J. Eohm- 

 son. Third, H. Beldon. Highly Commended, J. Wright, Keighley ; Jt 

 Robinson; A. K, Wood, 



